The Guide to Handicraft Shopping in the Marshall Islands

Not only a handicraft shop with lots of variety, but the real magic of Elefa Handicraft is also its weekend handicraft workshops!

Local ladies craft beautiful jewellery and keepsakes right before your eyes using shells, while coconut fibres and other materials sourced from Majuro and the outer islands.

Earrings and flowers are the most popular items, alongside necklaces, bracelets and magnets, with special pieces from Arno Atoll also available. What makes this place genuinely special is that no two pieces are quite the same.

On Saturdays, you can book a one-hour handicraft workshop where local ladies will teach you to make your own necklace, earrings or bracelet using the same materials they work with daily. Classes are tailored to what you'd like to make, and all materials are supplied.

Book your Saturday class through their Facebook or Instagram pages and drop in any other day (9 am to 5:50 pm, Monday to Friday or 1 pm to 5:30 pm, Saturday) to browse and shop.

Leipajid is one of those places you stumble into and leave with a basket full of handwoven treasures and a genuine appreciation for Marshallese craft traditions.

Celebrating over 30 years in business, this beloved shop was founded by Cradle Aniñj Alfred, born in Likiep Atoll, and continues to be a hub for local weavers who bring in their work to be sold alongside pieces sourced from the outer islands.

Browse necklaces, bracelets, obons (woven wall hangings), rose (ear flowers), baskets and more, all made by hand by skilled artisans.

The wall hangings are the most popular item and, as our editor-in-chief Laura can confirm, also the hardest to fit in a suitcase (smaller versions are available, fortunately). Large baskets are available as custom orders, so don't be shy about asking.

Find Leipajid open from 8 am to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday.

Happy Hands is one of the Marshall Islands' most established handicraft stores, tucked inside a small hut near the Billfish Club and opposite Hotel Robert Reimers in Majuro.

Step inside (shoes off at the door, as per local custom) and you'll find a genuinely curated selection of Marshallese crafts, from obon (woven wall hangings) and head garlands to the ever-popular flower-behind-the-ear piece known locally as rose.

Items are sourced from skilled artisans across the atolls, including Aur and Ailuk Atoll, giving each piece a real sense of place. You'll also find canoe carvings, Christmas decorations and Bob Whisky from Marshall Islands Pandanus Co., among other fine gifts.

Happy Hands is open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday, and the team also runs a second store opposite the local Catholic church.

Lokoben is a small but surprising shop in Majuro that combines local handicrafts, shell souvenirs and convenience store staples... But the real reason to stop in is the bōbshake.

Named after the Marshallese word for pandanus, the bōbshake is a modern, drinkable take on one of the Marshall Islands' most culturally significant fruits; and the Marshall Islands is one of the only places in the world where pandanus fruit can actually be eaten.

Beyond the shakes, Lokoben stocks locally made handicrafts, weavings and shells sourced from the outer atolls, Majuro and Arno, making it a solid one-stop shop for authentic souvenirs. Keep an eye out for fun snack finds too, like rosette cookies, which have a habit of disappearing fast.

Lokoben in Majuro is open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Saturday.

Mon LiSaitem (which translates roughly to "home of" or "place of") is a small convenience shop worth seeking out, not just for its groceries and handicrafts, but for what might be the most authentically Marshallese breakfast you'll find on the island.

The real draw here is the fresh bags of donuts, a classic local morning ritual paired with a boiled egg and a coffee. You can pick up all three in one stop.

While you're there, look out for the namunamu (hot dog wraps) for something a little more quirky and local, and browse the small selection of handmade coconut frond handicrafts if you're after a souvenir with a genuine story behind it.

Mon LiSaitem accepts card, cash and Lomalo, the local digital wallet, and is open from 6 am to 9 pm, Monday to Saturday.